'Pretty Little Liars,' and more shocking TV deaths

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:Shocking character deaths

TV can be a cruel, cruel place, and we're not even talking about the writers' rooms. Here are some of the small-screen deaths that shocked us the most (stop here if spoilers aren't your thing).

Hide Caption

1 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Anika (Grace Gealey), left, and Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) ended season 2 of "Empire" with a fight on a balcony which ended with one of them falling off. The season 3 premiere revealed it was Rhonda who fell to her death. Here are some other small-screen deaths that shocked us (stop here if spoilers aren't your thing).

Hide Caption

2 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Hearts broke in May 2016 when "Game of Thrones" killed off beloved character Hodor, who perished gallantly while saving his companion Bran.

Hide Caption

3 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Abbie Mills, the law-enforcement-officer-turned-demon-fighter portrayed by actress Nicole Beharie, died in the season three finale of Fox's "Sleepy Hollow."

Hide Caption

4 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Lexa, a fan favorite played by actress Alycia Debnam-Carey on the post-apocalyptic CW series "The 100," was killed by a stray bullet.

Hide Caption

5 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Laurel Lance/Black Canary, the district attorney and Green Arrow sidekick played by actress Katie Cassidy, died in a season four episode of the CW's "Arrow" series.

Hide Caption

6 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

"Doctor Who" fans had a heads up that Jenna Coleman, the Doctor's companion for nearly three years, was departing the series, but still the tragic death of her character Clara was like a punch to the gut.

Hide Caption

7 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

It's still fair to call the character deaths on "Game of Thrones" shocking because not everyone has read the books. And in the case of the demise of Jon Snow in the Season 5 finale, there are some theories that he may not actually be dead.

Hide Caption

8 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

The brutal death of the young and innocent Shireen during Season 5 of "Game of Thrones" did not sit well with some fans. The series seems to have a knack for disturbing viewers, though it is not the first.

"The Walking Dead" kicked off the second half of its season by killing off Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), a moral center of the show. It's not the first time "Walking Dead" has surprised viewers.

Hide Caption

11 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

"The Walking Dead's" midseason finale in November was a heartbreaker. Emily Kinney's Beth got into an altercation with Dawn (Christine Woods) that led to her death. Several fans turned to Twitter to admit that Beth's tragic ending left them in tears.

Hide Caption

12 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

FX's "Sons of Anarchy" didn't hold back as it ended its run after seven seasons. In the penultimate episode, the show's main character, Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), fatally shot his mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal). That jaw-dropping moment was followed by the death of Jax himself in the series finale.

Hide Caption

13 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Fan favorite Trip (B.J. Britt) on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." met a disastrous end on the show's midseason finale in December. In an attempt to rescue Skye just as the mysterious Obelisk was activated, Trip was turned into stone.

Hide Caption

14 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

"Chicago Fire" started off its third season with a gut punch. We knew to expect casualties after season 2's building explosion, but that didn't make it any easier to say goodbye to paramedic Leslie Shay (Lauren German). She didn't die in vain, though: Executive producer Matt Olmstead told Entertainment Weekly that the intent is to have her death shake up the storylines for the coming season.

Hide Caption

15 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

"Pretty Little Liars" fans were ready for a death in the fifth midseason finale, but that didn't make it any easier. In the August 26 episode, one-time "A" Mona Vanderwaal (Janel Parrish, left) was killed off. Or so it seemed; "Pretty Little Liars" is famous for also bringing people back from the presumed dead. (We're looking at you, Ali.)

Hide Caption

16 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

When "True Blood" met its true death in its series finale last August, it dragged one of its main characters down with it. In a surprising twist, the writers actually killed off Stephen Moyer's Bill Compton. The toughest part to stomach? They had his one love, Sookie (Anna Paquin), do the staking.

Hide Caption

17 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Not that "True Blood's" seventh season hadn't been breaking hearts left and right. After kicking off the final stretch of episodes with a surprising death (which you'll hear about next), the HBO staple axed Joe Manganiello's beloved werewolf, Alcide, in the third episode.

Hide Caption

18 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

During "True Blood's" June season premiere, Rutina Wesley's vampire Tara met her final death while protecting her mother. Viewers were caught off-guard by Tara's sudden demise, but Wesley wasn't, and she supported the decision. "I think it's great," she told Entertainment Weekly of her character's death. "I think somebody had to go."

Hide Caption

19 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

It seemed almost poetic that Tywin Lannister (portrayed by Charles Dance) was killed by his son Tyrion on an episode of "Game of Thrones" that aired on Father's Day 2014. It was a less than dignified end for the Lord of Casterly Rock, who bought it while on the commode.

Hide Caption

20 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

On the April 17 season finale of "Scandal," creator Shonda Rhimes threw out a death-murder plot that stunned fans and altered the fate of one of the drama's main characters, President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn).

Hide Caption

21 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

No one lives long in the world of HBO's "Game of Thrones," but for a while it seemed that only the good were sentenced to be written off the show. Thankfully, season 4's Purple Wedding proved that death comes for the wicked just the same -- even when that person is the king of the realm. So long, King Joffrey!

Hide Caption

22 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Josh Charles' turn as lawyer Will Gardner on "The Good Wife" came to an end last spring. The character was killed off in the 15th episode of the fifth season. "We've all experienced the sudden death of a loved one in our lives," the showrunners said in an explanatory letter. "Television, in our opinion, doesn't deal with this enough: the irredeemability of death."

Hide Caption

23 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

The death of the wise doctor, Hershel, during "The Walking Dead's" fourth season broke some hearts.

Hide Caption

24 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

On a 2013 episode of Seth MacFarlane's long-running "Family Guy," fans were stunned to watch one of the animated comedy's central characters bite the dust. The family dog, Brian, lost his life after being hit by a car.

Hide Caption

25 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Author Helen Fielding killed off Mark Darcy in her latest Bridget Jones novel, "Mad About the Boy." Fans are reportedly not happy about the loss of Darcy, played by actor Colin Firth in the films.

Hide Caption

26 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) didn't have a chance to live happily ever after on "The Walking Dead," as she died in childbirth.

Hide Caption

27 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

The character of medical student Lucy Knight (played by Kellie Martin) was stabbed to death by a mentally disturbed patient on "ER."

Hide Caption

28 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Heath Ledger starred as the Joker and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes in "The Dark Knight." The death of Rachel hit Bruce Wayne/Batman hard.

Hide Caption

29 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

The birth of her daughter should have been a joyous time for Lady Sybil Branson (Jessica Brown Findlay) and her husband, Tom (Allen Leech), on "Downton Abbey," but fans were shocked when tragedy struck.

Hide Caption

30 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

The death of Kevin Spacey's character, Lester Burnham, in the 1999 movie "American Beauty" is accompanied by poignant words at the end of the film.

Hide Caption

31 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

The revival of John Travolta's career via playing hit man Vincent Vega in the 1994 film "Pulp Fiction" was almost as surprising as the way his character gets taken out in that film. Toaster pastries, anyone?

Hide Caption

32 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Killing off a popular character early on has almost become a trademark of HBO shows (remember Stringer Bell on "The Wire"?) so fans really shouldn't have been stunned when Sean Bean as Eddard "Ned" Stark lost his life during the first season of "Game of Thrones."

Hide Caption

33 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Viewers didn't actually witness the death of Gwyneth Paltrow's character Tracy in the 1995 film "Se7en," but "The Box" was enough to shock Detective David Mills, played by Brad Pitt -- and us viewers.

Hide Caption

34 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) and Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) were a happy couple on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" until a bullet felled Tara, which led to much outrage from fans. (But what else is new?)

Hide Caption

35 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

"The Sopranos" offered up plenty of killing, but the murder of Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo) struck a nerve with fans.

Hide Caption

36 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Michael K. Williams played Omar Little, who was a bit of a Robin Hood on the critically acclaimed series "The Wire." His death in season 5 was more shocking for the manner in which it happened than that it happened in the first place.

Hide Caption

37 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Peter Krause starred as Nate Fisher, who was expected to survive after a brain hemorrhage but ultimately died -- like the rest of the cast -- on "Six Feet Under."

Hide Caption

38 of 39

Photos:Shocking character deaths

Is there any character on TV who's died as often as poor Kenny on "South Park"? The hooded kid has met his maker via death by tree, chicken pox, mosh pit and even giant bird. By some counts, Kenny has bid farewell roughly 89 or 90 times.